


Uneven Steps

by PinkBlossom



Category: NCIS
Genre: Disabled Character, Disabled Reader, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Physical Disability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29538084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkBlossom/pseuds/PinkBlossom
Summary: You're back in town after more that 20 years.Does a certain silver-hair federal agent remember you?
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Original Female Character(s), Jethro Gibbs/Reader
Kudos: 21





	Uneven Steps

Entering the lobby, you marvelled at how little had changed. Obviously security was a little bit more ‘on it’ than it had been in the past but you still knew your way round. You headed for the elevator and went to the top floor. As the doors opened, you took a moment to reacquaint yourself with the layout. You definitely did not remember this garish orange paint job and you wondered if all employees were given sunglasses on arrival these days. Moving forward, you knew the sound of your crutch tapping against the floor was going to announce your arrival before you ever could. Sure enough, faces turned to look at you as you entered the bullpen. But the face you really wanted to see after all this time was stubbornly stuck in a case file.

‘Gibbs?’ you questioned, even though you had recognised him the minute you’d stepped out the elevator.

He looked up, the quizzical look on his face erupted into a gorgeous smile.

‘Y/N!’

He stood up and sidestepped his desk in order to wrap his arms around you. You wrapped your free arm around him and as your cheek pressed into his shirt, you inhaled deeply: he always did have such an alluring scent. You parted, that smile still lighting up his face. He’d aged so well, those eyes still as intense as you remembered.

‘So how come you’re back in DC?’ he asked.

It had been over twenty years since you’d left Washington to work at FLET-C over at Glynco. You’d been an Analyst based in MTAC when you’d first met Gibbs while working together on a case. He was one of the few agents who didn’t take one look at your stick and assume you were employed as some kind of sympathy vote (especially with you being a woman as well) while taking this as an excuse to treat you as some kind of second-class citizen. While you were tough, you weren’t particularly confident back then, so when people talked down at you, ignoring them had been your way of dealing with it. You had a bit of a crush on him back then, but you knew he was married so it didn’t even cross your mind to let him know, no matter how subtly. Seeing him again bought back all those feelings you thought you’d long-since grown out of.

‘Just catching up on a few things,’ you waved away his question.

Gibbs was looking at you. He knew that answer was a bit of a fob off, but he could see that the smile on your face said it wasn’t him it was aimed at.

‘Fancy steak and a beer tonight, about 7?’ he asked, cocking his head and giving you a sly smile.

‘Cowboy steaks and beer, how could I say no!’ you laughed.

*** 

Pulling up outside Gibbs’ house, you marvelled how, like the man, very little had changed. Never a regular visitor, you’d been over a total of three times before this evening. That last visit had been two nights before you left for Glynco. There had been a lot of beer consumed that night and you’d both slept on the sofa. You knew your colleagues thought he was aloof, but you’d always loved spending time with him, learning how he communicated with a raised eyebrow or a subtle smile.

Walking up to the door and knocking firmly, you are greeted moments later the door was open and Jethro welcomed you over the threshold. As expected, the inside had changed very little although you noted that the couch was different to the one you had fallen asleep on. Following him into the lounge, you take a seat on the couch, noting the bottles of beer and cutlery already sat on the coffee table, Jethro takes his place by the fire to start cooking the steaks. Instantly, you’re taken back to the first time the special agent invited you over.

‘Y/N!’ Jethro exclaimed, holding a plate of freshly cooked, rare (he’d remembered how you liked it) steak.

‘Sorry,’ you flustered, taking the plate from him

He smirked and with his own steak done, he took a seat next to you.

‘Everything ok?’ he asked, noticing that you’d not so much picked up your fork.

‘So, this is going to sound really bizarre, but would you be able to cut this steak for me? I’m having problems with my hands…’

Without question, Gibbs took the plate and the knife and fork and skillfully cut the entire steak up and handed it back.

Thank you. I was remembering the first time you invited me over for steak and beer.’

He nodded, setting to work on his own steak.

‘It was after the Hazelton case,’

That case was one of the first major cases you worked on. It was a big deal to you and as part of your role, you’d uncovered intelligence to suggest that Naval depots across the eastern seaboard were under threat. Because of the other agents’ perception of your abilities, they talked down your findings. Gibbs had been the only one who listened and took onboard what you were saying about the intelligence you had gathered. When they got ordered to listen to you, a few of them started to refer to you behind your back as “gimpy.” They didn’t realise it at the time but you’d heard them. It wasn’t anything you hadn’t heard before, but it hurt. Surely you weren’t in high school anymore? As it happened, Gibbs witnessed their childlish remarks and noted your heartbroken reaction. Once you were out of earshot, he shouted down all three of the men and went to the director, who made sure they all had to go on an awareness course and that they were formally reprimanded. Gibbs never told you what had happened, but the Director did when he asked to see you and told you to let him know if there were any more instances. He was steadfast that you had earned your place at NCIS and anyone who thought different was to report to him.

‘No one dare call me names after you’d finished with them’, you chuckled, taking a swig of your beer.

‘I think the Director had more impact there,’ he smiled coyly, giving you that fleeting look that had always made you feel happy.

While you didn’t work with Gibbs again for another two years, you stayed in touch and in that time, you’d gained more confidence in your abilities and you soon became the go-to person for terrorism related intelligence. You were given probationary analysts to mentor regularly, and that’s when the job offer to work at Glynco had come. It was a big step but one that you knew you wanted to take. You talked it through with Jethro, who listened intently. He didn’t offer advice but as ever, he listened and told you that it was something you could do.

‘So why are you really in town?’

You smirked. ‘Wondered how long it would take you to ask!’

‘Wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t,’

‘I’m being medically retired. Not being able to cut my own food also means using a computer is really painful. They couldn’t put anything in place that was going to allow me to do my job. I’ve got arthritis, affects my hips, knees, wrists, ankles, you get the picture. Put that on top of an existing disability and it’s twenty times worse.

A silence fell over the room. Your bombshell had seen a similar effect when you dropped it on your colleagues. Gibbs didn’t know what to say to you. He knew he’d be lost if he was made to retire. Eventually, he formulated a response.

‘You staying in Georgia?’

Shaking your head, you took another bite of your steak.

‘I was going to come home to DC. I’ve missed it.’

Nodding his head, he took another mouthful of food.

‘You could come have steak and beer more often,’ he mused.

‘I’d like that,’ you replied. ‘I’ve missed it.’

The hint of a smile that crossed Jethro’s lips told you he’d missed your evenings together too. While you hadn’t had any reservations about leaving Georgia before, DC definitely had more of a draw now. You loved how he didn’t need to say very much to speak volumes. While others had grown weary of his lack of small talk, you enjoyed just being with him.

With the steaks eaten and the beer finished, Gibbs offered you some bourbon but you declined.

‘Need to drive back to my motel. I Don’t want to start my retirement with a DUI: I really need my car – especially now,’

Gibbs nodded, you could see he was disappointed, he wasn’t even trying to hide it.

‘You could stay here. If you wanted that is.’

‘I’d need a bed. My joints are beyond sleeping on a couch,

‘I got a bed,’

‘Just the one?’ you teased.

‘Figured we could share?’ he shrugged, a glimmer of mischief in those bright blue eyes.

The smile lit up your face before you had even absorbed what he had said. Jethro had that cheeky look on his face as he held up the bottle of bourbon again.

‘Deal,’ you replied.

He poured the drinks and you thought to yourself: one bed was most definitely enough.

**Author's Note:**

> For anyone who has ever been made to feel they are not enough.  
> You are


End file.
